Sunday, September 18, 2011

MY $20 CUP OF TIM HORTON'S COFFEE THIS MORNING

LOOKING SOUTHWARDS ALONG THE GODERICH LAKE HURON SHORELINE IN THE DIRECTION OF BAYFIELD JUST DOWN THE COAST ABOUT 13 MILESMotorcycle or Jeep? Jeep or Motorcycle.....?? Had it been a tad warmer at 9:30 this morning I might have opted for a bike ride but with the heater in the Jeep to ward off a few morning chills I threw the cameras in little Jumpity Jeepers and headed on down the road. After all, it was Sunday morning and that is my favourite time of the week to get out and meander around the back country roads. This area of Ontario is all rural farm land so we have thousands of miles of paved and gravel roadways connecting farm fields, farms and small country towns. Roads, roads everywhere. SOMEBODY FELL ASLEEP WITH THEIR HEAD ON MY KEYBOARD THIS MORNINGMy first stop before getting the wheels dusty was at Tim Horton's in Clinton Ontario for a small coffee. One cream & no sugar. Slipped into the drive-thru and rolled right up to the speaker ordering my coffee. Before reaching the pickup window 3 seconds later my hot coffee was sitting on the window ledge. Handed the girl a $20 bill and was so focused on the quick service that I drove away with some nice Tim Horton thoughts in my head. Beautiful morning for a drive as I once again marvelled at the different types of crops just about ready for harvesting in the fields. I really enjoy looking at all the lovely old and new farms with their big maple shaded lawns mowed to perfection. Long tree lined driveways, large houses and barns in some cases and cozy ranch style homes fixed up like something out of a cozy Anne Of Green Gables book. With large white puffy clouds in a Robin's egg blue sky I had probably doddled along for maybe twenty miles when all of a sudden I had a thought that brought me up right quick. I had not waited for the change to my $20 bill after picking up my cup of coffee at Tim Horton's in Clinton earlier. Arrrrrggghhh!! No wonder I was through the drive-thru so quick!!THIS IS OUR NECK OF THE WOODS AND WE LIVE JUST A COUPLE HUNDRED YARDS TO THE LEFT OF THE ROAD IN THOSE TREES IN THE RIGHT HAND PHOTOWell, what do I do, turn around and race back to hopefully retrieve my change or just keep rolling along enjoying the morning. I opted for the second choice knowing I could head back through Clinton on my way to Bayfield later. But, would my money be there waiting for me after a couple of hours. Well, we'll see. Figured it would be a good honesty check for the girl who took my order.<<< BREAKFAST AT OUR HOUSE THIS MORNINGCame across the word 'nonsense' in my blog reading this morning and whenever I see that word now I am reminded of something in my life from the late 60's. Way back around 1968 I think it was, if the fog lifts long enough to remember back that far, I briefly wrote a school newspaper column for an also brief Journalism class in Waterloo, Ontario I was enrolled in. My last name is Bossence and my column was called, 'Bossence Nonsense.' And, that is basically what my column was about too…..nonsense. I may have touched on this in a previous blog one time. Back in those days the Government offered re-training programs for adults called, coincidentally, 'The Adult Retraining Program. This was the Governments attempt at getting people receiving Unemployment Insurance Benefits to be hopefully retrained for the workforce while receiving these benefits. Many courses were offered in the program and one of them was basic Journalism. I somehow managed to finagle my way into that course as did a dozen other 'characters' like myself. We were quite a collection of adult misfits to say the least. What we learned in class each day was often as not discussed and hashed over later in the local area pubs.I think I was only in this program for maybe 4 months when the whole Adult Training Program was re-evaluated and many courses dropped. Journalism was one of them. Well, that was too bad because I had liked it. While in the course we put out a small monthly newspaper in which I wrote a column called, 'Bossence Nonsense'. It consisted mainly of factual trivia, school events and rumoured gossip I would dig up around the school or in the pubs. I do think I slanted it towards ‘rumoured gossip though and I would weave all this sometimes general nonsense together in my column. Enjoyed the 3 or 4 columns I did and learned a few basics of writing along the way. Probably got a few people ticked off at me too. When the course was disbanded I applied for a two year General Arts course at Conestoga College in the Fall and amazingly enough was once again accepted. Wished I could tell you that I completed that course and graduated with flying colors but I can't. Never even made it to the end of the first year. Let me just say there was a lot of alcohol, some drugs and a lot of stupidity wrapped up in that short College time frame. Only thing I ever really enjoyed and remembered from those few College months was one of the basic Psychology classes I had enrolled in. Wished I would have had the foresight and maturity at the time to have pursued that further. Oh well, just a little reminiscing tonight of days gone by. Doesn't hurt to do that once and awhile as long as I don't dwell on that period in my life too long.TIS THE SEASON FOR GRAPES ON THE NEIGHBOURS VINE >>>Oh, and getting back to my $20 coffee story. Heading home I stopped into the Clinton Tim Horton's coffee shop, skirted the long line up at the counter and went directly to the take out window section. Began to explain my dilemma to one of the young girls when she beamed forth with a smile and a question. "Do you drive a Jeep Sir" she asked. "Yes," I replied. "Well you are one dumb ass forgetting your change aren't you"......OK, Ok, she really didn't say that but that is just about how I was feeling standing there. With a big smile she walked over to a bulletin board beside the window and removed a small pinned up Tim Horton's bag with a bill stapled to it. Inside the bag was my correct change. I just love it sooooooo much when honesty prevails. Thank you to Ashley at the take out window………..More dorgling around with the Motor Home this afternoon in preparation for our blast off next month. Not really into any serious heavy duty loading yet....but soon:))LAKE HURON PLAYING AMONG THE ROCKSGROANER'S CORNER:)) A bum asks a man for $2. The man asked, "Will you buy booze?" The bum said, "No." The man asked, "Will you gamble it away?" The bum said, "No." Then the man asked, "Will you come home with me so my wife can see what happens to a man who doesn't drink or gamble?" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.Until one has loved an Animal, their soul remains un-awakened.OUR PICASA PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguyThe only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.

Al, you have lived a charmed life. Education is way over rated these days. You have done very well with your native talents. Life is a crap shoot and your "Bossence" from Bayfield is always interesting and fun filled.

I like to think the choices we make throughout our lives lead us up to the present moment, and that we are where we are meant to be at this moment. I'm glad you are writing your blog rather than for some giant news corporation.

There are many honest people in this world, and it's always uplifting to find one. Glad you remembered to go back for your change.

It's always best to not wonder about what could or should have happened in the past. Too many variables. Thankfully I didn't have any slippery slope issues of well, "substances", but my further education was curtailed by a complete lack of funds. We decided to concentrate on my wife's higher learning instead. I guess it paid off. By the time we figured it might be "my turn", there really wasn't too much point. Besides, to quote the father of one of my wife's former associates, "You can only eat one chicken a day".

Oh yes..there are lots of "could haves, would haves, should haves" in any life at our extended years..But, all of that "stuff" is what makes our lives like a randomly knitted afghan ...strands of life, frazzled and freyed, and some strands tightly woven and pleasing..that's what makes us ...US...Keep on keepin' on, blog friend..you're doin' just fine!!

AL'S CAMERA EQUIPMENT

A sometimes asked question readers have about my blog is what kind of a camera do I use. Well I have 8 of them and use them all. Five Nikon DSLR's, two quality Sony point and shoots plus one older Canon point and shoot.

'UPDATE':: July 2017 Thanks to a very generous blog reader I have been able to update my Nikon camera equipment and supplement my camera gear with a couple additional fine Sony cameras as well.I now have a 'donated' Nikon D7200 sporting my new Nikkor 18-300 3.5 zoom lens. Also have picked up a new Nikkor 1.8 primary 35mm lens. In addition I also now have a Sony RX100-3 camera as well as a Sony Exmore Cybershot. I have given my Canon Powershot point and shoot camera to a neighbor.

- In early 2017 I replaced my Nikon D-90 camera with a new D-3400 after the 'auto focus' feature on my aging D-90 quit working. The Nikon D-90 had been my work horse camera sporting a Nikkor 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 lens. I used this camera for most of my landscapes and I now have it set up for night photography where 'auto focus' is not necessary.

-My older faithful and favorite Nikon D-40 finally packed it in during the summer of 2015 and I replaced it with a new Nikon D-3100.

- Previous to my Nikon D-90, most of my photos were taken with my old faithful Nikon D-50 from 2006 to early 2011 whereupon the D-50 suffered a rather gruesome death when it fell off a table onto a cement porch in southeastern Arizona. The 70-300mm lens on the camera survived the fall but the D-50 did not. My Nikkor lenses are interchangable between the D-90 the D-3100 and the D-3400.